H&M’S CONSCIOUS EXCLUSIVE A/W20 COLLECTION EXPLORES THE BEAUTY OF WASTE
Literally creating beauty from waste, the A/W20 collection includes innovative fabrics and processes that transform food crop waste into a natural fibre, fabrics made from sustainably sourced wood pulp or use a unique garment-to-garment process. The materials can be found in womenswear pieces such as opulent evening gowns in black and green jacquard taffeta, yellow jacquard or festooned with dusty green flowers, mingling with voluminous tops and tailored suiting. Dramatic volume, softly structured shapes and glamorous ruffles collude with an edgy undertone to create a darkly alluring look and feel. Menswear makes a return to Conscious Exclusive; there’s a classic tuxedo, luxe suiting, shirting and a yellow jacquard jacket.
“For A/W20, we really wanted to be trailblazers – pushing the limits of creativity and sustainable fashion – by focusing on waste. As a result, the pieces in this collection are crafted from truly amazing materials produced from waste. Working with this kind of transformation and being able to speak to our customers through beauty, we hope that waste can be part of the future of sustainable fashion,”
says Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative advisor at H&M.
Accessories include bold, edgy choker necklaces, earrings and shoe clips in recycled metals and a pair of sunglasses crafted from Made of Air®, a material partly made from waste biomass. The shoes can be worn as both a mule and boot with a removable sock, made from VEGEA™, a vegan leather partly made from wine by-products. Prints throughout the collection are inspired by floral wallpaper that has peeled off over time or tapestries from days gone by, while flower appliqués and moth motifs allude to both life and decay.
Furthermore, two H&M stores in Stockholm and Berlin will be offering a rental service of six different A/W20 pieces - some are unique to only the rental service, while others are made in exclusive colourways.
The Conscious Exclusive A/W20 campaign encourages us to “wear the waste” in an endeavour to change fashion and features Zinnia Kumar, an Australian-born, London-based ecologist, activist and model.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of this Conscious Exclusive campaign, especially as H&M is paving the way for sustainable collections to become the industry norm. As consumers, we will no longer need to differentiate between fashionability and sustainability, as they will become one and the same. As an ecologist working in fashion, this fills me with hope,”
says Zinnia Kumar, ecologist, activist and model.
